All Over Albany

Lots of cats and explosives found in home, artifact thief sentenced, Obama opens big lead in NY, graduation prankster wants his costume back

Animal control investigators found about 60 cats -- three of them dead -- in a house in Ravena yesterday. They also found grenades, land mines and a laser-guided rocket (it's unclear whether explosives were live or not). Police described the home owners as collectors of war memorabilia. [TU] [CBS6]

Jerry Jennings' proposed budget for the City of Albany has people thinking he will almost certainly be running for re-election next year. As one council member noted: the amount budgeted for street and sidewalk repair was tripled for next year. Jennings has been mayor since 1994. [TU]

Schenectady County is no longer in the top 10 nationally for highest taxes as a percentage of home value -- it's now 12th in the nation, according to a tax think tank. Homeowners in the county pay 2.3 percent of the value of their homes in taxes. (Of note: the county's proposed budget for next year includes 13 percent tax increase.) [Daily Gazette] [Daily Gazette]

Daniel Lorello, the guy who stole artifacts from the NYS Library, was sentenced to two to six years in prison yesterday. He also has to pay $125,000 in restitution and give his personal collection to the library. [Daily Gazette]

It looks the man hit and killed by a car yesterday in Clifton Park may have stepped in front of the vehicle intentionally. Police say the man left a note in his car "regarding his despondency." [Saratogian]

A Siena poll reports Barack Obama's lead in New York is now 22 points over John McCain -- a poll three weeks ago had indicated Obama's lead was 5 points. [Biz Review]

The the Saratoga County Board of Elections says it's gotten an "unreal" number of requests for absentee ballots. In this case, an unreal amount is about 3,500 so far. [Saratogian]

MVP, the health plan, will be moving into two floors of the re-developed Center City Complex in Schenectady. [Daily Gazette]

Calvin Morett, the guy who ran across the stage of the Saratoga Springs High School graduation ceremony in a penis costume, says he will try to get the costume back from police. [Saratogian]